New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer won the gubernatorial race Tuesday and will become the state’s 75th governor come inauguration day. Meyer beat out Republican candidate Mike Ramone with 55% of the votes and Ramone taking 44%.
At 45, former educator Meyer, took the office of New Castle County executive in 2016, defeating an incumbent in the primary and proceeding to take the county through COVID-19.
With education being one of the main focuses of this most recent election cycle by candidates on both sides of the aisle, Meyer said it is on the top of his administration’s agenda along with housing affordability and preparing Delaware for the future.
Meyer argued that the challenges not only students face but also educators are multifaceted; he proposed that early childhood educational services are one way to tackle Delaware’s low literacy rates.
“We’re going to look in communities where there are early childhood deficiencies, where kids are struggling, they’re often communities of poverty,” Meyer said.
In a job market that increasingly requires degrees and other prerequisites for younger people in entry-level jobs, Meyer said that those graduating from high school should be prepared for the job market of the 21st century.
As New Castle County Executive Meyer started the “1,000 Kids Programming” initiative, and said that is a prime example of a program that helps students navigate new opportunities.
With Delaware becoming one of the top destinations for retirees, the issue of affordability and affordable housing has come up numerous times throughout the election cycle, with the focus also retaining on the university and its issues with affordability.
Meyer emphasized the importance of collaboration with all entities in Delaware, including the university, even with its funding transparency issues under a recent audit.
“It’s important to note that the relationship with the university is a sensitive one, it’s also very challenging,” Meyer said. “So we’re going to collaborate with the university to make sure University of Delaware continues to rise in the rankings.”
Climate change is another issue surrounding land use and housing. Meyer said it is one of the top priorities in building a climate-resilient Delaware.
According to Meyer, the climate crisis will impose future challenges on jobs in Delaware’s beach towns, especially with recent flooding on the River Inlet Bridge, and preparing residents for the coming challenges is imperative
“The entire career you chose may no longer be viable in Delaware, we’re going to focus our efforts, first and foremost on climate resiliency,” Meyer said.
In closing, the new governor-elect expressed what he believed is most overlooked in Delaware. He emphasized that making the First State a place of opportunity is important through supporting education and affordable housing.
Meyer also added that he wants to make sure Delaware is fun, and to ensure that there is a vibrant cultural aspect to the state- a place for people to live and grow from a young age.
“I feel like Delaware is having a moment, there’s a little bit of buzz around Delaware now, people are excited about it,” Meyer said. “As a kid I always felt like, if I wanted to have a good time, I had to go to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland. Now they’re coming here.”
Meyer will be inaugurated Jan. 21, and will be joined by the new Lt. Governor-Elect State Senator Kyle Evans Gay.